Coin detector for coin controlled machines



June 1s, 1931;

O. R. HERMANEK COIN DETECTOR FOR COIN CONTROLLED HACHINES Fivled March 28. 1930 -Yfa 1 I/v f5/vrai. 0170 #fina/vnf.

Patented June 16, 1931 'OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA COIN DETECTOR FOB COIN CONTROLLED MACHINES Application fled Iarch 28, 1930. Serial No. 439,870.

This invention relates to coin detectors for coin controlled machines.

It is the object of this invention to provide a novel and improved construction. which will I permit a coin after once being used to actuate a coin controlled machine to be viewed during several subsequent actuations of the machine, in order that the owner of the machine'may detect the use of bogus coins in the ma- 10 chine.

To this end, the invention consists in the novel parts and novel combinations of parts, hereinafter defined in the claims and de scribed in the following specification, made 1l in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the' various views, and, in which,

Fig. 1 is a view in front side lelevation of a portion of a anel of a coin controlled machine equippe with an embodiment ot the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in rear side elevation of the arts shown in Fig. 1; j

*s Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 as indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2, as indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken on the 3 lin 5-f5 of Fig. 4, as indicated by the arrows, an

Fig. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a tipper member that may be used.

Referring to the drawings, a front panel for a coin controlled machine is designated by t-he numeral 7. Mounted adjacent the upper end of the panel 7 on the forward side thereof is a circular casing 8 cut away at its upper portion to form a coin receiving opening 9. A shaft 10 extends through the casing 8 and the panel 7 and carries at its'rear end a small drum 11 to which a coiled tension spring is secured to be wound thereon. The lspring 12 is also secured to a pin 13 mounted .on the rear side of the panel 7. A cross pin i4 is secured to the forward end of the shaft 10 to form an operating handle. Mounted within the casing 8 is a disk 15 having a coin receiving notch 15a and a second notch 15?).

5 The casing 8 is recessed at one side thereof to spacer strips receive a dog 16 having a cam surface 16a and a toot-h 1Gb. An opening 7a is cut through the panel 7 adjacent the lower portion of the casing 8 to receive coins from the coin mechanism above described. The operation of the 5I coin mechanism is as follows: A coin will be inserted through the notched portion 9 of casing 8 to fit within the notch 15a of disk 15. The pin 14 will then be turned in a clockwise direction and the coin will strike cam por- 6G tion 16a of the dog 16 to throw the dog outwardly and prevent the tooth 1Gb from engaging with the notch 15b. The notch 15a and coin carried therein is brought into alinement with the opening 7a, whereupon the coin 5l: will be discharged into the o ning. During this action the spring 12 willfbe wound on the drum 11 and when the coin, is discharged and the pin 14 released, the spring will return the disk 15 to its original position with the notch 73 15a in line with the notch 9 of the casing. The coin mechanism above described, is of well known construction and is, at present, extensively used in more elaborate form on coin controlled machines.

Below the coin mechanism above described and in accordance with the present invention, the panel 7 is provided with a long rectangular opening 7 b and the panel is bevelled from the front side inwardly to the opening. The

rear side of the panel is rabbete adjacent the opening 7 b to receive a glass 17 which fits completely over the opening 7 b. A. pair of 18 fit within rabbeted ortions in the panel 7 adjacent the two e ges 85 of the glass 17, and these strips project over the edges of the glass 17 at the rear side thereof and are spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the diameter of coins A adapted to be used with the coin mechanism above described. Fitting over the strips 18 and bridging the space between the same is a plate 19 which also fits Within a rabbeted porl tion of the rear side of the panel 7 and this plate projects upwardly to fit over the rear '95 portion of the opening 7a. The plate 19 is bulged outwardly adjacent the opening 7a to form a coin receiving portion 19a, while a long slot 191) is cut in thc plate opposite a portion of the glass 17. The glass 17, spacer strips 18 and plate 19 combine to form a coin chute 20 exposed to view at the forward side of the panel through the glass 17. The opening 7a conununicates with the com chute 20 to permit the free passage o f coms downwardly therethrough after being discharged from the coin mechanism. A suitable bracket 21 of general U-shape is securedl tofthe plate 19 adjacent the lower end thereo to bridge the coin chute 20 and this bracket'has suitable wings thereon within which a Cotter pin forming a pivot is journaled. .A tipper member 23 shaped as best shown 1n Fig. 6, and having two spaced forked arms 23a and 25%?) respectively, is provided with two wings 280 which are journaled on the Cotter pin 22. The upper forked arm 23a is spaced from the lower forked arm 28?) a. distance approximating the diameter of the coins A, while the forked portions of the two arms 23a and 23?) are spaced from each other respectively. distances slightly less than the diameter of the coins A. The forked portions of the upper arm 23a are considera ly shorter than the forked portions of the lower arm 23?). Small rectangular openings 190 are provided in the plate 1S) to permit the forked portions of the arms 23a and 23o to be carn ried into and out of the coin chute 20 when the tipper member 23 is rocked on the pin 22. When the arms 23a. and 237) of the tipper member are substantially horizontally disposed, as shown in Fig. 4, the forked portions of the upper arm 23a will be disposed Out of the coin chute 20, while the forked portions of the lower arm 23?) will project through the openings l9r.l across the coin chute 20 adjacent its lower end. A coiled spring 24 surrounding the cotter pin 22 lits within a small opening 23d on the arm 23a of the tipper member to bear against the tipper member at one end and at its other end the spring bears against the bracket 2]. This spring acts to normally hold the tipper member 23 in such position that the forked portions of the lower arm 237) extend completely across the coin chute 20 and bear against the glass 17 with the forked portions of the upper arm 23a retracted from the coin chute 20. An apertui-ed lugs projects rearwardly from the tipper member 23 and an actuating rod 26 having a bent lower end runs upwardly through the aperture in the lug 25 and is connected at its upper end`by screw threaded engagement with a loop member 27. A grooved cam 28 is secured to the shaft 10 of the. coin mechanism between the drum 1l and the rear side of the panel 7 and the loop member 27 is fit-ted over the grooved portion of the cam 28. The coin chute 20 has a discharge portion below the lower end of the plate 19 as shown in Fig. 4.-, and coins are adapted to drop from the coin chute into a coin cup or other receiver (not illustrated).

Preparatory to use, a number of coins A will be inserted into the coin chute 20 through the coin receiving portion 19a to be supported in the coin chute for view .through the glass 17, as best shown in Fig. 1, by means of the forked portions of the lower arm 236 of the tipper member 23. The spring 24: is strong enough to counter-balance the weight of the column of coins A and the two forked portions of the arm 236 being spaced apart a distance less than the diameter of the coins A effectively bar the passage of the coins through the coin chute. Vhen the coin mechanism is operated, at the same time that the coin is discharged into the opening 17 a from the coin mechanism, the rot-ation of the shaft 10 will cause the cam 28 to raise the loop member 27 and the perating rod 26 secured thereto. The tipper member 23 will then be rocked against the tension of the spring 24 to cause the forked portions of 'the lower arm 237) to be withdrawn from the coin chute 20, while at the same time the forked portions of the upper arm 28a are carried across the coin chute 20. The lowest coin A in the coin chute will thus be left without support and will be discharged from the chute. The next to the lowest coin will strike the forked portions of the upper arm 23a of the tipper member and the column of coins including the coin most recently discharged from the coin mechanism will then be supported from the forked portions of the upper arm 23o. After the coin is released from the coin mechanism, the springr 12 will rotate the shaft 10 in a counter-clockwise direction to carry the disk 15 back to its original inactive position and carry the cam 2S to its lowermost position, as is illustrated in Fig. 3. The spring 24 will then rock the tipper member 23 to cause the forked portions of the lower arm 23o to be carried across the coin chute 20 into engagement with the glass 17 and to cause the forked portions of the upper arm 23a to be retracted from the coin chute. This will allow the whole column of coins to drop downwardly a distance corresponding to the diameter of one coin, whereupon the coins will all be supported as before on the forked portions of the lower arm 236 of the tipper member.

lt is preferred to use a. cotter pin 22 as the pivot for the tipper member 23, in order that the tipper member may be readily removed and another tipper Imember substituted therefor, if it is desired to change the device for use with coins of different sizes. The slot 19?) is provided in the plate 19 in order that the coins in the slot may be removed from the back of the panel in case they should become jammed in the chute 20.

It will, of course, be understood that the actuation of the tipper member 23 may be accomplished in a great many different manners and, accordingly, the tipper member is not restricted to use in connection with any particular type of coin mechanism. It will also be understood that the tipper member 23 may be electrically as well as mechanically operated. i In the drawings, the detector is illustrated as being constructed to display six coins A at the same time. It will be understood that the detector may be made of such size as to display any desired number of coins. lt is, of course, preferred that quite a large number of coins be displayed by the detector for the reason that the more coins displayed by the detector, the greater will be the possibility of detecting the use of slugs and bogus" i coins in the machine.

The present device is cheap and simple in construction and can be used in connection with practically all types of coin controlled machines. The device has been successfully demonstrated in actual practice.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the various parts without departing from,y the scope of '25 the resent invention. hat is claimed is y The combination With a coin controlled mechanism of a slot machine, of a coin chute into which a coin discharged from the 20 coin controlled mechanism is adapted to fall, means permitting coins in said coin chute to be viewed, said coin chute having a discharge portion below the level of its re cciving portion, a tipper member pivoted adjacent the discharge portion of the coin chute', said tipper member having a pair of spaced forked arms, the forked ends of which may be carried in t'o said coin chute, resilient means normally holding the forked ends of w one of said arms into said chute to support a plurality of coins therein with the forked ends of the other of said arms out of said chute, a cam adapted to be rocked when said coin controlled mechanism is operated, a rod connected at one end to said tipper member, a loop connected to the other end of said rod and within which said cam fits, said rod being adapted to tip said tipper member as said cam is rocked to carry the forked ends of the arm normally in said chute out of said chute and to carry the forked ends of the arm normally out of said chute into said chute. In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

OTTO R. HERMANEK. 

